September 2008 - The Parklander Magazine

Candlelight, combined with a down-light or two in the ceiling (like
a nice chandelier), and controlled by dimmer switches, is better still.
The serving area should be lit separately, perhaps by a well-angled spot
or down-light.
Halls, Corridors, and Staircases
Far too many halls and staircases have hopelessly inadequate lighting.
They should, of course, be well lit at all times, with light on the floor to
show any changes in levels and
surfaces, and light on the walls to
show switches and door handles.
When starting a lighting plan from
scratch, the ideal would be to have a
separate circuit of low-level lights that
could be left on at all times. But this is
an ideal, and seldom achieved.
Bedrooms
Bedside lamps should be high enough
to shine directly onto a book. Light
above a mirror used for make-up is less
helpful than light placed at either side.
Lights positioned to shine outwards,
rather than on the mirror itself, are
much better. The same applies to fulllength
mirrors, where the light should
be directed on to the viewer rather than
on to the glass.
Children’s Rooms
In small children’s rooms, all outlets
should be childproof and lighting
fixtures kept well out of reach. Wall
lights are useful here for they will give
a softer light than that of central
ceiling fixtures. Dimmer switches are
useful for children who are afraid of
the dark; alternatives are the very low
wattage baseboard or skirting fixtures.
Older children will need good light
for homework, hobbies, and for
reading in bed, so provide adequate lighting on desks and worktables
and above beds, set in good positions.
Bathrooms
…it is never too late to
start making little changes
to accomplish the
right lighting for your home.
Small rooms may well only need one ceiling light or a couple of downlights,
with one set over the bath, with a waterproof bulb. Lights should be
fixed on either side of a mirror to be used for both make-up and shaving,
or just above, if only used for shaving. Unfortunately, all too many
bathrooms are wired for light just above
the mirror, and it is often too much
hassle to get the situation changed.
Kitchens
All kitchens should have good overall
light, plus booster light for any
precise activity like reading cookbooks,
chopping, mixing, assembling
ingre-dients, and washing dishes.
Well-placed general diffusing lights,
fixed flush to the ceiling, or inset spots,
or a mixture of down-lights and angled
spots make good background light,
stepped up with strip lights concealed
under high-level cupboards to shine
down on the work surface.
Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting illuminates an area to
help indicate where railings, steps, level
changes or other possible hazards might
be. The most important factor to
consider is the position of the lights, use
a combination of lighting techniques
(downlighting and uplighting) to bring
light to different parts of the yard.
Jenny Velasquez, a decor designer
with international flare, is an
independent designer with
Decor and You. E-mail her at
Velasquez@theparklander.com.
the PARKLANDER
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